Sunrise Serenade: Forty-Seventh Street Jive

Today's Sunrise Serenade was doubtless a leftover from last night's Spring Pledge Drive Special:  "Forty-Seventh Street Jive" by Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For April 17, 2013 - Spring Pledge Drive Special

The playlist for the April 17, 2013 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle Spring Pledge Drive Special has been added to the playlist filing cabinet. 

Spring Pledge Drive Special Play At Home Edition!

Tonight is the Swing Shift Shuffle Spring Pledge Drive Special - "Night on the Town:  A musical tour of New York in the Swing Era," and you can join in the fun at home!  We will visit several areas of NYC, but we will be spending most of our time in Harlem.  You can follow along with this 1932 Night-Club Map of Harlem by Elmer Simms Campbell (1906-1971), the first African-American cartoonist to be published nationally (in Esquire, Cosmopolitan, The New Yorker and Playboy, among others).  Join us as we drop in at the Cotton Club, Savoy Ballroom, and other hot spots to hear some of the greatest performers in American music like Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, etc.  I hope you will join me for the show, and show your support of the SSS  and WEVL by making a pledge. 

Sunrise Serenade: Forty Second Street

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Forty Second Street" by the Boswell Sisters.  Enjoy the video below, or click on the song title to watch on YouTube.

Live Music At The Lindy Hop

This Friday's Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session features live music from J. Thomas and the Swinging Monkeys, with a lesson by Jaredan and Jasmine.  Admission is $7. 

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag progressive dance lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Massachusetts (We Are Boston)

Today's Sunrise Serenade was neither deliberate nor completely unconscious.  While reading the news about the bombings at yesterday's Boston Marathon, the word "Massachusetts" arose in my mind simply as context for the story.  Whenever I think of that word, my mind hears the chorus of "Massachusetts" by Anita O'Day with Gene Krupa and His Orchestra.  It seemed appropriate to post this song in solidarity with the people of Boston.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Green Lantern

I did not remember posting a Green Lantern story before, and this 1946 tale, posted on Four Color Shadows, appealed to me for two reasons.  For one, Green Lantern is not actually that green in this story, is he?  For another, the powers that GL possessed at this time were interesting.  The power ring gave him the ability to fly, "walk through walls," as well as "immunity to metals."  Unfortunately, it apparently left him vulnerable his "deadliest enemy . . . wood!"  Seriously, an old dude with a wooden cane knocks him flatter than a new driveway.

Sunrise Serenade: Flying Home

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Flying Home" by Red Norvo and His Orchestra from a V-Disc.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Donald Duck: The Spirit Of '43

As the deadline for filing income tax returns nears, it is time for our annual reminder of a time when paying taxes was considered patriotic.  Walt Disney made this animated short, featuring Donald Duck, for the U.S. Government, so it fell into the public domain.  The cartoon's goal was to encourage people to save their money so they could pay their income taxes and support the war effort.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1943 animated short, The Spirit Of '43. 

Sunrise Serenade: Ciribiribin

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Ciribiribin" by Harry James and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.